Melfae
Earth |ailments = Earthblight Felvine Scented |weaknesses = Fire |creator = dancnbna }}Melfaes are small Neopterons. Physiology Melfaes are Jaggi-sized insects that resemble mole crickets. Their exoskeletons are reddish-brown in color with black streaks racing towards the back. Their heads are bulbous, with large compound eyes and a pair of short antennae. Their forelegs are enlarged and resemble the head of a plow while their hind legs are smaller. They have a pair of small wings that allow limited flight. Ecology Melfaes live in massive tunnel nests under a eusocial system. All of them contribute to the nest's well-being and expansion. Most individuals dig and clean up, while some tend to the fungal farms, act as sentries, define threats, or raise young. The much larger and stronger Soldier morphs defend the nest. The vast majority of Melfaes are sterile workers, with only a few having the privilege of mating with the queen. Melfae queens have never been seen, since nobody has entered a Melfae nest and come out alive. The tunnels are twisting and pitch-black with constant patrols and powerful defenders. Much remains unknown about their society. In the Old World, Melfaes are reviled and feared as marauders, conquerers, and embodiments of destructive progress. In the New World, they are seen in a more positive light due to more open-minded attitudes towards monsters and because Melfaes have not been in open conflict with humans. That said, the Commission is keeping a close eye on the New World populations to minimize conflict with humans. Behavior Melfaes are highly territorial and protective of their nest and the surroundings. "Sentinel" units continually patrol the surface searching for new threats while "prowler" units search areas for existing threats. These threats can include unwanted objects, invaders, or human encroachment. Melfaes have a special language consisting of wing and body movements that is unique to each nest. Melfaes greet each other by "kissing" with their mandibles. They often "discuss" with each other about what needs to be removed to ensure the well-being of the nest. They seem especially focused on removing fire-causing entities, as they are deathly afraid of fire. Melfaes build warning posts: deliberately-placed rocks and mounds of earth doused in pheromone, including a special agent that tells Soldiers to ignore them. These posts, built in areas with fast air flow, serve to warn intruders to leave. The more posts and the stronger the smell, the more aggressive the Melfaes are. After a conflict breaks out on their territory, Melfaes quickly build new warning posts and fortify existing ones near the site. To travelers: if an area suddenly reeks of Felvine, either some Lynians are having a really big party, or it's Melfae turf, and probably the latter. Keep moving, and don't touch weird-smelling rubble. Melfae nests occasionally approach each other. Territorial battles can be fierce and bloody. The nests often send out diplomats to negotiate and settle on agreements to avoid further conflict. These agreements involve the destruction of the other nest. Can't have conflict if there's nothing that can cause it! Research has shown that Melfaes see human settlements as strange and abberant Melfae nests. Conflicts between humans and Melfaes can escalate out of control very quickly, hence the phrase "one Melfae can destroy a city" being used to refer to a domino or snowball situation. Settlements conquered and destroyed by Melfaes are often left unrecognizable, as the Melfaes will warp the ruins into their own nests and slather the place in patrols and warning posts. Abilities Melfaes are weak on their own, at least to a well-equipped Hunter. Their forearms are tough and their bodies are surprisingly dense. They can also fly short distances to dive-bomb enemies. They are much more dangerous in groups. However, their most dangerous ability is the ability to spray pheromones. This pheromone happens to smell exactly like Felvine and is not dangerous. Its ability to summon Melfae Soldiers is dangerous. Habitat Melfaes inhabit rugged areas with stable geology and soil that is suitable for digging. They are hardy creatures, capable of surviving extreme cold and heat. Quests (Under Construction) Attacks *'Swipe': Melfae swipes with a forelimb. *'Nudge': Melfae headbutts while thrusting foreward. Knocks you on your butt. *'Leap': Melfae's wings flap as it takes a running leap and headbutts. Sends you tumbling. *'Rock Throw': Melfae scoops up the ground and sends a small boulder flying. Deals Earth damage. *'Pheromone Spray': Melfae wiggles its abdomen before discharging a glob of pink pheromone. Inflicts Felvine-Scented. Equipment Melfae equipment has a promiment construction theme. See Melfae Soldier's equipment section for details. Damage/Status/Item Effectiveness: Raw Damage: Elemental Damage: Status Effectiveness: Item Effectiveness: Carves Fourth Gen World Breakable Parts None. Notes *Melfaes usually appear when a Melfae Soldier is one of the potential invaders in an unstable-environment quest. *When a large monster is in the area, Melfaes will run away like other small monsters, but if it is a Melfae Soldier, they will join in the battle like the 'Prey types. Trivia *Melfae are based on the behavior of certain TVTropes users. These are specifically users who focus primarily on removing or correcting entries and namespaces in the same, oftentimes robotic fashion. The marking behavior comes from certain trope types (YMMV, Trivia, and Flame Bait) being marked with special icons and on users who track down potholed tropes to see if their use in a given context is unacceptable. (When you've watched the edit histories and site trends for as long as I have, you'll understand. Or not.) *Melfae's English and Japanese names are based on TVTropes users who exhibit the aformentioned behavior: MyFinalEdits for English and Ferot_Dreadnaught for Japanese. *Design-wise, Melfaes are based on mole crickets crossed with termite soldiers. Some of their social behavior is based on prairie dogs. *The Felvine-Scented status was given to Melfaes to make the status more dangerous and to give a creative use of it. Category:Monster Creation Category:Neopteron Category:Small Monster Category:2 Star Level Monster Category:Earth Element Monster Category:Earthblight Monster Category:Felvine Scented Monster Category:Dancnbna